Governance | Leadership | Research

Universities are often presented as autonomous institutions, free to define their strategies and priorities. Yet in practice, many key decisions are shaped by external forces such as rankings, funding models, regulation and market pressures. This raises a fundamental question about where real decision-making sits in ...

Peer review is central to the credibility of academic research, yet it relies heavily on the time and expertise of university staff. While it is often viewed as an individual professional responsibility, it also represents a significant, largely unmeasured institutional commitment. As submission volumes rise ...

Last week’s newsletter asked whether we have too many universities. In most sectors, sustained financial pressure leads to consolidation through mergers or restructuring. Yet in higher education, this rarely happens. Universities continue to expand, but almost never contract. This edition of the newsletter explores why. ...

Over the past few decades, higher education systems in many countries have expanded significantly. In the United Kingdom, a pivotal moment came in 1992 when polytechnics were granted university status, rapidly increasing the number of institutions in the sector. The reform widened participation and created ...

University rankings are usually presented as tools that measure institutional performance. But the indicators used in rankings do more than evaluate universities, they influence how universities behave. From hiring decisions to research priorities and international partnerships, ranking metrics can quietly shape institutional choices. This edition ...

Several UK universities are exploring the establishment of campuses in India, with some already at an advanced stage of planning. As these plans materialise, India could soon host one of the largest clusters of UK foreign branch campuses anywhere in the world. ...